It has long been concerned that lead storage batteries may fail to function as they deteriorate, fail to play their role for emergencies etc., and therefore fail to function in earthquake disasters, other disasters, or any other emergencies, when electricity is needed, and that this may lead to accidents.
The deterioration of lead storage batteries is 80% attributable to sulfation, which covers lead polar plates and reduces the current carrying capacity. Other reasons may include physical damage, expansion due to overcurrent, over discharge as a result of batteries having been left unattended, and electrolyte shortage.
In response to this, a method has been proposed for removing sulfation, or the substance causing deterioration, by applying a pulsed current to the lead storage battery, as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-213843.
The invention of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-213843 is an apparatus for removing sulfation precipitated on the polar plates of each of a plurality of batteries by applying a pulsed current supplied from a power source to each battery, and the apparatus includes a current switching means that supplies the current applied to each battery in the form of a pulsed current by alternately switching the application of a current to each of the batteries at a predetermined cycle, and a control means that controls the switching operation performed by the current switching means, whereby applying a pulsed current to both of the batteries on the side where the application of a current is terminated and the batteries on the side where the application of a current is started.